12:53 AM,
Dec. 8, 2012

Sharmane Cotton makes herself at home at Mary Ellen's Hearth at the Nellie Burge Community Center in Montgomery.

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Sharmane Cotton took pride in being able to take care of her family's needs without having to rely on help from anyone else.

But when her financial situation became dire, with her 4 year-old son Jeremiah in tow, she moved into Mary Ellen's Hearth, a homeless shelter for women and children. The experience, she says, has been truly humbling.

"I've always had good jobs," said Cotton, 23. "I have always been on the straight and narrow. I have always been in school, and have always done what I'm supposed to do. ...